DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11 November 2025. Claims 19-30 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 21-22 and 28 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 21-22: In line 6, Applicant is respectfully advised to amend “toan absorption circulating section” since this feature does not appear to be an obviously inherent feature of an “ammonia-based desulfurization device” (claim 21) or an “ammonia-based decarbonization device” (claim 22), nothing that these are different terms from the “ammonia-based desulfurization zone” or the “ammonia-based decarbonization zone” as is recited in claim 19.
Claim 28: In lines 4-5, “the ammonia-based decarbonization device” appears to be a misstatement of “the ammonia-based decarbonization zone” (claim 25, line 4).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 24 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 24: The claim recites, “wherein the particle control section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone is configured to provide cooling that is performed by the cooling section of the ammonia-based decarbonization zone.” It is unclear what is meant by a feature (the particle control section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone) that is configured to “provide” cooling that is “performed” by another feature (the cooling section of the ammonia-based decarbonization zone). In other words, since both “that is performed” and “is configured to provide” apparently indicate functional language (providing/performing cooling) for further defining the structure of the device, it is unclear how that functional language can be understood to be the same for each feature, wherein the features each perform the same “cooling.” Consequently, the functional language leaves unclear the metes and bounds of the implicit structures/capabilities of each feature. Referring to the specification for an interpretation for the purposes of examination only, [85] recites, “[t]he particle control section 2-3 of the ammonia-based desulfurization functional zone performed the cooling function of the ammonia-based decarbonization.” This text does not clarify the issue because, as with the claim, it is unclear how the cooling can be the function of one feature despite the fact that the cooling is performed by a different feature.
Claim 30 is rejected upon the same basis as claim 24, as “wherein the particle control section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone is configured to provide cooling that is performed by the cooling section of the ammonia-based decarbonization zone” is unclear because of the language “is configured to provide cooling that is performed by,” as “is configured to provide” and “is performed by” appear to be inconsistent with each other with respect to the cooling.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
A thorough search for pertinent prior art did not locate any prior art that discloses or suggests the invention recited in claims 19-30.
The concept of a device for controlling ammonia escape in an ammonia-based desulfurization and decarbonization system, the device comprises:
an ammonia-based desulfurization zone; an ammonia-based decarbonization zone; and an ammonia escape control zone, wherein
the ammonia-based desulfurization zone includes: a washing cooling section; an absorption circulating section; and a particle control section;
the ammonia-based decarbonization zone includes: a cooling section; and an absorption circulating section;
the ammonia escape control zone includes an ammonia escape control section that includes: an acidic ammonium sulfate solution washing system; and an acidic water washing system;
the absorption circulating section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone is connected to the acidic ammonium sulfate solution washing system of the ammonia escape control zone through pipes; and
the particle control section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone is connected to the acidic water washing system of the ammonia escape control zone through pipes (claim 19)
is considered to define patentable subject matter over the prior art.
Likewise, the concept of device for controlling ammonia escape in an ammonia-based desulfurization and decarbonization system, the device comprises:
an ammonia-based desulfurization zone; an ammonia-based decarbonization zone; and an ammonia escape control zone, wherein:
the ammonia-based desulfurization zone includes: a washing cooling section; an absorption circulating section; a particle control section;
the ammonia-based decarbonization zone includes:
a cooling section; and an absorption circulating section;
the ammonia escape control zone includes an ammonia escape control section that includes: an acidic ammonium sulfate solution washing system; and an acidic water washing system;
the absorption circulating section of the ammonia-based desulfurization zone is connected to the acidic ammonium sulfate solution washing system of the ammonia escape control zone through pipes; and
the cooling section of the ammonia-based decarbonization zone is connected to the acidic water washing system of the ammonia escape control zone through pipes (claim 25)
is considered to define patentable subject matter over the prior art.
The closest prior art is Neumann et al. (WO 2010/036436 A1), which discloses a multi-contaminant removal system (Fig. 31) comprising a high efficiency gas liquid contactor 2160 for contacting flue gas with aqueous ammonia and dissolved ammonium salts to capture SOx ([0196]) (i.e., an ammonia-based desulfurization zone), another high efficiency gas liquid contactor 2260 for absorbing CO2 using ammonia ([0198]) (i.e., an ammonia-based decarbonization zone), and a third high efficiency contactor 2330 to strip out any ammonia ([0199]) (i.e., an ammonia escape control zone). However, Neumann does not recite the component sections/systems of these contactors as claimed, with the contactor 2330 contacting only with water (Fig. 31; [0199]).
Luo et al. (US 2021/0197117 A1) discloses an absorption tower 1 (Fig. 1; [0263]) that includes a pre-wash zone 4, an absorption zone 5, and a fine particle control zone 6 ([0263]) and that treats a process/flue gas 9 with a liquid containing ammonium sulfite and ammonium sulfate ([0258]), wherein the pre-wash zone cools the flue gas and the absorption zone 5 desulfurizes the gas ([0274]) (i.e., an ammonia-based desulfurization zone that includes: a washing cooling section; an absorption circulating section; a particle control section).
However, neither reference suggests a decarbonization zone that includes a cooling section and an absorption circulating section; or an ammonia escape control section that includes an acidic ammonium sulfate solution washing system and an acidic water washing system; or piping that connects the sections of these units as claimed.
Other related prior art is Duncan et al. (US 2010/0089110 A1), which discloses an apparatus (Fig. 1) for removing SO2 using ammonia 102 ([0010]), an apparatus for CO2 scrubbing with ammonium carbonate solution 104 ([0011]), and apparatuses 106 and 108 for ammonia vapor recovery ([0012], [0013]). However, Duncan cannot cure the deficiencies of Neumann or Luo.
Claims 24 and 30 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The above-cited prior arts, whether alone or in combination, provide no teaching or suggestion that would have led the skilled practitioner to arrive at the claimed configuration.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL E GITMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7934. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:15-5:45pm.
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/GABRIEL E GITMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772